Greater Dubuque Development outlines child care expansion, funding and partnerships

At a special session of the Dubuque City Council on April 21, 2025, Greater Dubuque Development Corporation President and CEO Rick Dickinson and Director of Workforce Programming Nick Hockenberry briefed the council on a regional effort to expand child care access that organizers say combines state grants, private philanthropy and employer donations.

The update focused on the “Business Champions of Childcare” grant program, facility build‑outs and a plan to transition long‑term fundraising and stewardship to the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. Presenters said the work is intended to remove a barrier to workforce participation that local employers repeatedly reported during outreach.

"Childcare access, it remains as one of the most significant barriers to workforce in our region," Nick Hockenberry said, summarizing the program’s rationale and outcomes. He told the council the initiative targets both physical capacity and the childcare workforce — recruiting, retaining and…